NASHVILLE — Playing with poise under pressure is a distinguishing characteristic for any pro athlete, but it's especially essential for NFL quarterbacks.

Heading into his second season as the Tennessee Titans' starter, Jake Locker is looking to make strides in that department after suffering his share of struggles against the pass rush in 2012.

Locker had one of the league's lowest completion percentages when under pressure, and he also trailed most of the field in the percentage of times that pressure led to a sack.

One solution is simply making quicker decisions, even if it means tucking the football under his arm and using his swift legs to eat up yardage.

"The priority for me this year is just playing faster, whether that's through my progression or decision-making," Locker said. "Not waiting to make it to where I was like, 'Oh man, if I'd decided to run there, I could have made a good gain, where now I got sacked.' … It's just trying to make it a little bit faster to make those plays more productive."

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Bellamy (8) is congratulated by tight end Kevin Brock (46) during the second half of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Arrowhead Stadium.
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New York Jets tight end Konrad Reuland (88) fumbles after being hit by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho (53) during the first half of a preseason game at Metlife Stadium.
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San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) leaps towards the end zone prior to scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium.
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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) is tackled by San Diego Chargers cornerback Marcus Gilchrist (38) in the second quarter during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium.
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New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) scrambles in his own end zone out of bounds against the New York Giants during the second quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Brian Leonard (30) is stopped at the one yard line by Miami Dolphins inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) in the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium.
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New England Patriots tight end Zach Sudfeld (44) celebrates a two point conversion with wide receiver Josh Boyce (82) during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Gillette Stadium.
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New York Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland (87) celebrates with Mark Sanchez (6) after catching a pass for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
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Detroit Lions wide receiver Matt Willis (12) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown while being defended by New York Jets running back Chad Spann (30) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Ford Field.
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New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) makes a touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles out of the pocket for a short gain during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.
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Dallas Cowboys running back Phillip Tanner (34) runs with the ball after losing his helmet in the second quarter of the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Miami Dolphins at Fawcett Stadium.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) is sacked by Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ben Bass (79) in the first quarter of the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame game at Fawcett Stadium.
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When ESPN's Ron Jaworski ranked all NFL starting quarterbacks this offseason, he put Locker second-to-last, in part because of the way he dealt with the pass rush. Jaworski highlighted the first loss to the Houston Texans last year, when Locker failed to properly diagnose a blitz, suffered a sack and sat out the next five games with a shoulder injury.

"What really stood out evaluating Locker was the number of sacks he took," Jaworski said during the ESPN analysis. "That resulted from pressure outside the box, especially from the slot. This is part of playing quarterback effectively from the pocket. We know Locker has the necessary arm strength and he can move. That's not enough. It's the subtle nuances of the position, the disciplines of the craft that Locker must work on. He's not there yet. In fact, I believe he has a long way to go."

A look at sacks per drop-back last season doesn't seem to indicate any huge problems for Locker, as he was went down an average of once every 14.8 times he dropped back to pass. That's in the vicinity of the league's other mobile quarterbacks with relatively high sack rates such as the Seattle Seahawks' Russell Wilson (once every 14.5), Philadelphia Eagles' Michael Vick (14.9), Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton (15.4) and Washington Redskins' Robert Griffin III (15.5).

— Locker was sacked on about 22% of the plays he was under pressure last year. Among the 38 quarterbacks who played at least a quarter of their team's snaps in 2012, that figured tied for ninth-worst in the league.

— Locker's accuracy percentage when under pressure was just 43.5%, which ranked him dead last among the 38 quarterbacks who played at least a quarter of their team's snaps. Griffin ranked first (75%).

Coach Mike Munchak probably didn't pore over all those numbers, but he knows Locker has to be more decisive.

"It's just a timing thing, knowing how much time he has and getting a feel for how to escape," Munchak said. "The ball has got to go somewhere or he's got to get rolling."

Neither Munchak nor offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains has any problem with the third-year pro running more often since his excellent speed has helped him compile a 7.1-yard rushing average on 49 career carries.

Loggains, in fact, emphasized that point after an early training camp practice when he thought Locker was holding the ball too long.

Since that practice, Loggains said Locker has "done a much better job of pulling the ball down and taking off running. That's an aspect of his game he has to use."

As he continues to mature as a quarterback, Locker sounds as if he's on board with the advice of his coaches.

"Instead of holding onto it and trying to make something big out of it, take five yards and have second-and-5," he said "That's a good down and distance for our offense. We like being in that situation. And over the course of the season, I think those are plays that allow you to continue to stay on the field and continue drives and help you to win games."

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Glennon also writes for The (Nashville) Tennessean, a Gannett property